Tear-jerking love songs: classic and popular hits from Japanese music

maybeYOASOBI

YOASOBI “Tabun” Official Music Video

Released in 2020, this song portrays the raw emotions of a couple facing a breakup.

It captures the cool composure of saying goodbye without tears, alongside the lingering attachment buried deep inside.

The protagonist’s attempt to tell themselves “it can’t be helped” without finding anyone to blame resonates with aching poignancy.

Set to a mid-tempo melody, the lyrics trace the complex feelings of trying to accept the separation while still wishing they could go back to the past.

Included on the album THE BOOK, it reached No.

15 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

It’s a song that gently accompanies those struggling in a relationship or those who have experienced parting with someone dear.

Song of PointillismMrs. GREEN APPLE · Inoue Sonoko

Tenbyouno Uta

A beloved ballad featuring the overwhelmingly popular band Mrs.

GREEN APPLE and vocalist Sonoko Inoue, who is also active as an actress.

It portrays a bittersweet yet beautiful story of two people who fall in love within a limited time.

The rich expressiveness of Motoki Omori’s voice and the crystalline clarity of Sonoko Inoue’s vocals weave a harmony that conveys feelings beyond words.

Included on the single “Ao to Natsu” released in August 2018, the song colored the story as an insert track in the film “Aonatsu: Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-nichi.” Knowing that the intention was to express dialog-free scenes through singing makes the lyrics resonate even more deeply.

It’s a song that gently accompanies that slightly lonely feeling, like the end of summer.

rendezvousshaitoopu

rendezvous

The rock band Shytone, which rose to prominence after a viral hit on social media, released a signature track in April 2023 that sings of a man’s searing emotions after a breakup.

Unable to accept parting from someone he loved deeply, he longs for an impossible reunion; the loneliness of his lover’s traces fading from everyday life is expressed through vocalist So Sasaki’s superb word choices—so moving you might be brought to tears.

The song is also known for surpassing 100 million total streams in November 2023 and is included on the album “Hors d’œuvre.” Why not entrust your heart to its somehow comforting melody that stirs up those bittersweet feelings?

Love WindIkuta Rira

Lila Ikuta “Koikaze” Official Music Video

This song was chosen as the theme for the ABEMA romance reality show “Kyou, Suki ni Narimashita.

New Zealand Edition.” It’s a work by Lila Ikuta, who is also active as the vocalist of the music duo YOASOBI, and it was released in April 2025.

The piece is a love song that portrays a delicate emotional landscape: though timid about love, the narrator is touched by the other person’s earnest feelings and tries to take a step forward.

The fresh sound, like a herald of spring, layered with Lila Ikuta’s clear, transparent vocals, tightens your chest as you listen.

This marks the third time she has provided the theme song for the series.

It’s a masterpiece filled with warmth that gently gives you a push when you’re troubled by love or can’t quite take that next step.

Love SongGReeeeN

GReeeeN – Love Song

It’s GReeeeN’s third single, released in 2007, but in 2015 their sister group whiteeeen covered it as “Ai Uta ~since 2007~,” which became the theme song for the film Strobe Edge.

It’s a love song whose straightforward lyrics strike a chord.

Tokyokururi

Quruli – Tokyo

Many artists have written songs with “Tokyo” as their theme, but Quruli’s “Tokyo” is unquestionably a masterpiece among them.

It’s astonishing that this masterpiece is also Quruli’s debut single, but in any case, it’s the ultimate “Tokyo.” For those who moved to the capital from other regions—a major life event—it’s a song guaranteed to bring tears.

I’m sorryfukurouzu

Fukurouzu “Gomen ne”

This is the lead track from Fukurouzu’s second album, “Gomen ne.” The lyrics are full of lines that really hit home, making it a love song you can’t help but hum along to.

It’s a track I’d recommend to anyone new to Fukurouzu.

Mari Uchida’s vocals have a floating, translucent quality that becomes addictive after just one listen.